


Dream Big or Go Home

by jjournal



Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crack, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Prince Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-14 23:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjournal/pseuds/jjournal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tomorrow morning, he told himself, tomorrow morning he’d go in search for the dragon lived and breakfasted on human flesh... And like folklore had led him to believe, he'd look for the dragon that guarded the tower of a fair maiden.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dream Big or Go Home

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Dusty-Shelf for the SteveTonyFest.

Once upon a time, there lived a skinny young prince with golden hair and azure eyes. He had a big heart and stubbornness that rivaled even that of brick walls. 

People looked down on this young prince whose height barely reached the bosom of the shortest ladies of the court. 

So he decided to prove himself to the court and to the land that he was worthy as heir of the throne. 

He decided to defeat the infamous dragon that lived at the end of the state.

\- _owowowowowowowo_ -

“WHO GOES THERE?”

“STEVE ROGERS, PRINCE OF BROOKLYN OF THE NEW YORK LAND.” 

A fat guard wobbled towards him swinging an old blunt sword, “You should have seen the old york.” He tilted his head towards the gates; “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you. I’ve seen countless men and woman alike try to defeat the monstrosity inside and fail within the minute. Men and woman far larger and stronger than _you_.” 

He looked down at the skinny blond male, “And with sharper swords than yours.” He sneered at Steve’s old metal knife. 

Then he laughed as Steve tried to hold his shield steady but shook under the weight of it. 

“It’s almost cruel to let you pass with your naive nobleman’s ideas.” He turned around and headed towards the gate’s workings, “But all’s fair in war and lust… Or something like that.” 

The gates creaked and crept upwards at a slow pace, “Well then. What are you waiting for? A trumpet to signal your arrival? The monster’s waiting… I won’t say which.” 

The prince took a deep breath and lifted his shield higher, walking towards and through the gates with his head held high. 

Then walked past the dead gardens and broken statues. 

Walked past the snowcapped mountains of old. 

Walked over the river of Manhattan on a rickety bridge. 

Walked and walked and walked until the sun set in orange and red hues. Like it did on every land he’s ever explored. 

But with nightfall, he wasn’t so lucky as to view the other stars of the sky. Dark clouds floated in quickly and sure enough, emptied their stores of water on the land. 

But the prince couldn’t stop. 

He could only trudge his leather clad feet on wet soil and flip his wet hair back helplessly as rain pelted on his back and rang on the cold metal of his shield. 

Thunder joined the rain and reverberated from tree to tree. He caught the next lightening in the Far East. It hit the ground in a sharp beauty and illuminated the forest around it.

The next time the thunder sounded, it was complimented with a roar by the monster itself. 

A shiver wracked through his body… but he kept moving.

\- _owowowowowowowo_ -

He hit the large castle door before he’d even realized that he was no longer stepping on wet ground. 

“Focus, Rogers. You can’t afford to doze off right now.” 

He pushed the large door open with as much strength as he could muster but it was much lighter than anticipated and he swung through easily. 

Disoriented by the misleading door, he blinked a few times at the poorly lit hallway before trying to pick up his shield again. 

And then heard a giggle from behind one of the doors. 

He looked over to where he thought the source of the sound came from… and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. This was a dangerous castle -ridden with monsters from your darkest nightmares and a neighbor to the biggest fire-breathing dragon the world has ever housed. 

So how was it, that he heard a giggle? He shook his head, thinking that maybe he was hearing things. It was late after all and he has yet to take his rest for the day. 

Shuffling on, he managed to find a dry empty room with a ceiling still firmly in tact. Tomorrow morning, he told himself, tomorrow morning he’d go in search for the dragon lived and breakfasted on human flesh - the monster that instilled fear on every town by its mere existence. 

And like folklore had led him to believe, the dragon that guarded the tower of a fair maiden. 

He pulled out some bread he’d kept in his pocket, bit a small piece, and chewed slowly to make it last as long as he could. Peggy, daughter to the Lord of Richmond, had laughed at him when he mentioned the fair maiden at dinner two nights ago. 

She threw her head back and laughed, a high rich sound, and then shook her head at him while she reached for her goblet of red wine. Lips stained red, and eyes sparkling, she smiled at him and patted his arm, “Don’t ever stop dreaming, Rogers. The world would be all grim and no hope if you’d stopped.” 

He was pulled back to the present at the sound of a bug buzzing at his ear. Steve started to swat at it before realizing that it was much larger than a fly. In fact, it looked like it could have been a wasp. Horrified, he moved to the bed and pulled the ratty bedcovers over his body. 

Soon enough, the day took its toll and his eyelids were drooping shut. As he drifted off, he heard the same giggle from earlier and faintly wondered why… why would anyone be giggling in such a dark castle.

\- _owowowowowowowo_ -

When morning came, sunlight from the windows streamed in and aimed straight for Steve's eyes. 

He blinked his eyes open and then shielded them with his hand. He was almost certain he'd slept under the covers that night but then again, it was entirely possible that he'd kicked them away in the middle of the night. 

He stretched and his foot slipped off the edge of the bed. How far had he slipped during the night? He pulled his feet in again and looked behind to find himself face to face with the headboard. 

What on Earth? 

His bed had been shrunk while he was asleep! He knew that magic and foul play was common in this area of the land but it seemed almost ridiculous that so much magic would be expended on such a petty prank. 

Maybe he should just be grateful that that was the worst done to him. At least he hadn't sprouted a tail or been turned into a frog. 

He twisted around to slide off the bed and his feet hit the wooden floors with a thump. Did they also shrink the room or did he remember it much bigger in the darkness of the night?

He yawned and covered his face with a hand then brought his hand down and stared. 

It wasn't the room that was effected. The Prince got up quickly and clumsily and grabbed his shield, now far too easy to carry, and gasped at the reflection he saw. 

He was big. Chiseled. Steve made a serious face at his reflection... He looked like how a hero would look like. 

Thank the Gods! He might not die tonight. 

Tears of joy filled his eyes and he lifted his shield up and down to test his strength. The weight was easy and comfortable. The knife he'd carried earlier was just as bad as before but he pocketed it just in case. If he'd known the spell was coming, he would've dragged a heavy sword with him! Alas! He did not. 

No matter. 

Rogers shuffled out of the room, out of the dank castle, and into the warm sunlight. 

He smiled at the day star. 

_Never stop dreaming._

\- _owowowowowowowo_ -

After a few moments practicing with some unfortunate trees, Steve deemed it time to set out to the dragon (and the fair maiden). 

He found the tower within the hour. And sure enough, a big red dragon sat menacingly in front of it. 

"O' dragon! I am here to bring you you're long awaited fate!" 

He adjusted his hold on the shield and lifted his chin. 

The dragon looked up from where it was grooming its leg and turned a curious eye on Steve. 

Then small harmless fire balls puffed out of its nose. If the prince didn't know any better, he'd think the dragon was having a hard time breathing. 

The dragons wheezing was then accompanied by a loud laugh and the prince shifted his confusion to the only window of the tower. From there, a curly haired man appeared with the biggest smile on his face. 

"He's laughing at you because your clothes don't fit." 

Sure enough, his clothes did feel quite snug. His face flushed and he tried to reserve some dignity. 

"The _dragon_ laughs?" 

"Sure. It laughs, cries, breathes fire. The whole _shbang_." 

What the hell was _shbang_? And who was this man in the tower anyway? 

"Who are you and what have you done with the fair maiden?" 

The man's face twitched, "Your father smelt of elderberries!"

This confused Steve further, "I didn't say anything about my father." 

The dragon's wheezing intensified and it grated on Steve's nerves.

"Enough!" He lifted his shield, "Do you require saving from this dragon my fair... Tower occupant." 

"No thank you." 

Steve furrowed his eyebrows, "Then you are content with spending the rest of your days stuck in that tower?" 

"No..." The man smiled and then put a leg out of the window so that he saddled the window sill. 

Steve's eyes widened, "Do not kill thyself! I can save you!" 

The dark haired man rolled his eyes and continued to push himself out of the window. 

The prince looked at the laughing dragon, "This man tried to spare your life and you laugh on in the face of his imminent death?! Know that I will not spare yours should he not survive the fall!"

The dragon quieted for a moment before an especially big fire ball snorted out and it went back to wheezing heavily. 

He looked at the dragon with disgust and then back up to where the man was now scaling down the wall using the old plants that grew intertwined on the bricks. 

Steve hovered by that wall, shield on the ground, and arms ready to catch him when he fell. 

The man looked down one time when he was only a few feet from the ground. He saw Steve and rolled his eyes before letting go of the wall and falling. 

The prince was quick and he caught him easily, "Are you alright?" 

"My hero!" The man in his arms exclaimed and the dragon fell on the floor, taken by another fit of laughter. 

"I believe your dragon may be suffering from a disease of the brain." Steve commented before looking back at the man in his arms and being faced with a dazzling pair of dark blue eyes, "What is your name?" 

"Anthony Stark. But I prefer Tony." Tony smiled at him, eyes growing soft. 

"Okay, Tony." He nodded and his throat got dry. 

Tony seemed to take pity on him, "You can kiss me if you want. That's how all saving goes doesn't it?" 

"It does." He let Tony slide to the ground and then held his face in his palms. 

Anthony closed his eyes, long dark lashes brushed his cheeks. 

Steve leaned in and then pressed his lips to Tony's softly.

And for the second time that day, he felt as if a body part of his had grown twice its size. 

(His _heart_ , I mean.)

**Author's Note:**

> And they lived happily ever after...


End file.
